Spring clip appliance mounting in a counter opening

ABSTRACT

SEVERAL MODIFICATIONS ARE DESCRIBED. IN EACH EMBODIMENT THE SPRING CLIPS ARE MOUNTED DIRECTLY ON THE APPLIANCE, SUCH AS A SINK, WITHOUT REQUIRING A SEPARATE MOUNTING FRAME. THE CLIPS MAY BE ADHESIVELY SECURED TO THE VERTICAL EDGE SURFACE OF THE COUNTER, THEY MAY HOOK UNDER THE COUNTER, THEY MAY HOOK INTO A GROOVE IN THE EDGE OF THE COUNTER OR THEY MAY BE EQUIPPED WITH A SHARP CHISEL EDGE TO BITE INTO THE EDGE SURFACE OF THE COUNTER.

June 22, 1971 c. JENSEN ETAL 3,585,657

SPRING CLIP APPLIANCE MOUNTING IN A COUNTER OPENING Filed Dec. 2, 1968INVENTORS ALFRED c. JENSEN BY GINO R. QUILICI United States Patent3,585,657 SPRING CLIP APPLIANCE MOUNTING IN A COUNTER OPENING Alfred C.Jensen, 267 Wedgewood Drive, Eugene, Oreg.

97402, and Gino R. Quilici, 1135 NE. 80th Ave., Portland, Oreg. 97213Filed Dec. 2, 1968, Ser. No. 780,361 Int. Cl. E03c N33 US. Cl. 4-187 3Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Several modifications are described.In each embodiment the spring clips are mounted directly on theappliance, such as a sink, without requiring a separate mounting frame.The clips may be adhesively secured to the vertical edge surface of thecounter, they may hook under the counter, they may hook into a groove inthe edge of the counter or they may be equipped with a sharp chisel edgeto bite into the edge surface of the counter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to spring clipfastening means for securing an appliance such as a sink in a counteropening.

Appliances such as sinks that are mounted in counter openings ordinarilyrequire a separate mounting frame which is adapted to be secured on itsinside with the appliance and on its outside with the counter. Varioustypes of self-rimming sinks have also been proposed which do not requirea separate mounting frame. All such devices, however, usually alsorequire separate attachments and fittings which are diificult to applyand adjust in the cramped working space under the counter.

Objects of the present invention are, therefore, to provide an improvedappliance mounting and fastening means in a counter opening, to providefastening means which are entirely self-contained on the applianceitself without any separate attachments or fittings, to providefastening means which do not require adjustment or manipulation from theunder side of the counter, to provide fastening means which areinherently self-centering and self-locking and to provide a novelsnap-in type of fastening means which are operable automatically bymerely lowering the appliance into the opening without any tools orother manipulations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present fastening means comprises springclips mounted directly on the appliance itself. These clips may engagethe counter in various ways. They may have flat tongues to be adhesivelysecured to the edge surface of the counter, they may hook under thecounter, they may hook into a groove in the edge of the counter or theymay be provided with a sharp chisel edge to bite into the edge surfaceof the counter. The clips may be mounted on a vertical wall of theappliance or on a horizontal flange on the appliance which overlies thetop of the counter.

The clips have a spring action to center the appliance in the counteropening as the appliance is lowered into position. In most of theembodiments described the clips are automatically self-locking by merelylowering the appliance into the counter opening without any othermanipulation, auxiliary parts or tools. By reason of their springaction, the clips are also releasable for removing the appliance whendesired.

The invention will be better understood and additional objects andadvantages will become apparent from the following description of thepreferred embodiment illustrated on the accompanying drawing. Variouschanges 3,585,657. Patented June 22,, 1971 ICC may be made, however, inthe details of construction and arrangement of parts and certainfeatures may be used without others. All such modifications are includedin the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspectiveview from the under side of a counter, showing one form of spring clipsembodying the principles of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view on the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing a modification;

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing another modification;

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing another modification with the appliancejust entering the counter opening;

FIG. 6 shows the modification in FIG. 5 fastened in place; and

FIG. 7 shows a modification of the clip in FIGS. 5 and 6.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In FIG. 1 the appliance is asink 10 mounted in an opening in a counter 11. The sink has a verticalor near vertical side wall 12 which is inserted in the counter openingand a top horizontal flange 13 which overlies the top of the counter tosupport the sink in the opening. The sink is fastened to the counter bya plurality of spring clips 15.

As shown in FIG. 2, each clip 15 has a base portion 16 which is weldedor otherwise fixedly connected with the side Wall 12 of the sink.Extending downward from base portion 16 is a spring tongue 17 having ahook portion 18 to engage under the counter and a sloping cam surface 19which has sliding engagement with the edge of the counter when the sinkis lowered into the counter opening. As the sink is being lowered intothe opening, the edge of the counter presses the spring tongues 17toward the side wall 12 of the sink until the hook portions 18 havepassed below the under surface of the counter. Then these hook portions18 spring back and hook under the bottom surface of the counter toprevent upward movement of the sink.

In FIG. 3, the clip 20 has a base portion 16 secured to the side wall 12of the sink and an upwardly bent spring tongue 21 having a flat upperend portion 22 which is adhesively secured to the vertical edge surface23 of the counter. This clip is V-shaped whereby the vertex of the Venters freely into the space between the side wall 12 of the sink andthe edge surface 23 of the counter opening. As the sink is lowered intothe opening, the tongues are deflected by the edge surface 23 of thecounter so that when sink flange 13 is brought to rest on top of thecounter, the fiat portion 22 of the tongue lies flat against counteredge surface 23 for good adhesive connection. Tongue portions 22 andcounter edge surface 23 are spread with adhesive before the sink isinserted into the counter.

In FIG. 4, the clip 25 is also of V-shape having a fiat base portion 16secured to the side wall 12 of the sink. The upwardly extending springtongue 26 in this case is equipped with an angular end portion 27 whichsnaps into a groove 28 in the edge surface 23 of the counter.

The clip 30 in FIGS. 5 and 6 is also of V-shape with an upwardlyextending spring tongue 31. In this case the edge surface 23 of thecounter is cut on a slope and the spring tongue 31 has a sharp chiseledge 32 to bite into the surface 23 as shown in FIG. 6. Thismodification has the advantage that it does not require a counter of aparticular thickness as in FIG. 2, it does not require adhesive as inFIG. 3 and it does not require a groove in the counter edge as in FIG.4.

The clip 40 in FIG. 7 is a modification of the clip 30 in FIGS. and 6for use on appliances which have a large flange area at 13 and have aside wall 12 spaced too far from the edge of the counter opening or forother reasons unsuitable for mounting the clips on the side wall as inthe previous embodiments. In this case the base portion 16 of the clipis mounted on the under side of flange 13 and supports 2. dependingportion 41 which places the spring tongue 31 in position to engage theedge 23 of the counter. Depending portion 41 may be considered as a partof the spring tongue inasmuch as it is free to yield to permit thetongues to enter into the counter opening. This type of clip is ofparticular advantage where the side wall 12 continues downward at aconsiderable angle to the vertical whereby this wall is too remote fromthe edge of the counter to provide a satisfactory mounting for theclips.

It will be appreciated that in all the different embodiments the springaction of the clips provides automatic self-centering of the appliancein the counter opening so that the installer does not have to giveattention to this detail. In all embodiments except FIG. 3 the clips areautomatically self-fastening by the mere lowering of the appliance intothe opening. The FIG. 3 embodiment may also be considered asself-fastening but the preliminary step of applying adhesive isnecessary.

The present clips permit easy removal of the appliance when desired. InFIGS. 1 and 2 the clips are forced inward by inserting thin pieces ofmetal between the outer surfaces of the clips and the edge of thecounter opening. With the clips thus disengaged from the counter, thesink can be pushed upward.

In FIG. 3, the clips are forced inward by inserting a chisel edged toolbetween the edge of the counter opening and the outer surfaces of theclips to force the clips inward and break the cement bond that holdsthem. The sink can then be pushed upward.

In FIG. 4, the clips are forced inward by pressure against them and theninserting thin pieces of metal between the clips and the edge of thecounter opening. This disengages the clips from the groove 28 and theclips slide against the metal pieces as the sink is pushed upward.

In FIGS. 6 and 7, the clips are forced inward by inserting thin piecesof metal between the clips and the edge of the counter opening. Thisprevents the chisel edges from digging into the counter as the sink ispushed upward.

Having now described our invention and in what manner the same may beused, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A counter having an opening therein to receive an appliance, saidopening being defined by an exposed edge surface of the counter whichslopes downwardly away from the center of the opening at an angle to thevertical; an appliance having a peripheral horizontal flange overlyingsaid counter and supporting the appliance in said opening, a pluralityof clips mounted on the appliance at spaced intervals therearound, saidclips having spring tongues with upwardly and outwardly extending freeends, and sharp chisel edges on said free ends biting into said slopingedge surface of the counter to retain the appliance in said opening,said tongues being yieldable to enter into said opening from the topside of the counter and center the appliance in the opening when theappliance is lowered into the opening.

2. The invention defined in claim .1, said clips being mounted on theunder side of said flanges.

3. The invention defined in claim 1, said clips being mounted on a sidewall of the appliance.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,464,160 3/1949 Stanitz 4--1872,778,032 1/1957 Meehan 4187 2,885,691 5/1959 Juergens 4-187 2,902,7279/ 1959 Samolis 4--187X 2,938,218 5/1960 Stone 4-187 2,996,730 8/1961Hornik 4187 3,071,780 1/1963 Lyon, Jr. 4-187 3,126,552 3/1964 Scharmer4187' 3,196,466 7/1965 De Lorenzo 4187 FOREIGN PATENTS 13,998 5/ 1929Australia 4--187 LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG,Assistant Examiner

